Rise
by Skala866
Summary: Ever since Hazelstar rose to power, she has destroyed the warrior code. She refuses to appoint a medicine cat or deputy, and claims that StarClan is just a nursery tale. Is there any hope for FallenClan when its leader tries her hardest to keep it hidden?
1. Prologue

**FallenClan**

**Leader: **Hazelstar- ginger she-cat with long, thick fur, some darker tabby stripes, a white belly, and hazel eyes

**Warriors:**

Thrushwing- brown tabby tom with amber eyes  
><em>Apprentice, Snowpaw<em>

Softfeather- pale gray tabby she-cat with a white belly and paws and blue eyes  
><em>Apprentice, Sootpaw<em>

Nightstream- skinny black tabby she-cat  
><em>Apprentice, Darkpaw<em>

Cherrynose- reddish-brown tabby she-cat

Flamepelt- dark ginger tom  
><em>Apprentice, Frostpaw<em>

Spottedcloud- tortoiseshell she-cat with a white muzzle and paws

Rippleclaw- dark gray tabby tom with thin black stripes  
><em>Apprentice, Mosspaw<em>

Scorchfrost- mottled ginger-and-black tom with bright amber eyes, one white paw, and a long, white-tipped tail

**Apprentices:**

Snowpaw- frosty white she-cat with blue eyes, half-deaf

Frostpaw- white she-cat with faint pale gray patches and green eyes

Sootpaw- gray tabby she-cat with darker flecks and green eyes

Darkpaw- black tabby tom with patches of white on his belly

Mosspaw- mottled ginger, brown, black, and white she-cat with a white muzzle and paws and amber eyes

**Queens:**

Ashpetal- gray she-cat with white flecks and green eyes, mother of Thrushwing's kits: Birchkit, a white-and-gray tom, and Swallowkit, a dark brown tabby she-cat with white flecks and violet-blue eyes

* * *

><p><strong>Prologue<strong>

Hazel stared out of the frosted glass, her breath making small clouds on the cold surface. One of the Twoleg kits sat beside her, stroking her long, soft fur. Hazel purred and drowsily half-closed her eyes, watching the snow-covered landscape slide by.

The Twoleg monster came to a jerking halt. Hazel blinked open her eyes in surprise. The monster's paws seemed to be skidding on the slick, icy Thunderpath. The Twoleg kit pulled Hazel away from where she was sitting and opened the side of the monster, leading her away from the soft, warm comfort that lingered inside the strange creature.

Hazel would never forget the feelings of anger and loss that had rushed through her when the Twoleg had dropped her in the snow, climbed back into the monster, and drove away with her family. Hazel stayed still, in a crouch, watching with wide, fearful eyes as she watched the monster slide away into the distance.

She blinked down at her paws sadly, feeling strangely exhausted, even though it was still around sunhigh. Sadly, Hazel curled up in a tight ball and fell asleep.

She opened her eyes to bright, shining fields and starry skies. For a moment she thought she was dead; when she saw a cat with stars in its fur padding towards her, it only confirmed her suspicions.

The star-furred cat purred and narrowed her blue eyes slightly. "Don't worry, Hazel. You haven't died. You won't die for a very long time."

Hazel pinned back her ears and stared at her paws. "Why won't I? My housefolk have abandoned me. I won't be able to survive on my own."

The strange cat gave her a knowing smile and flicked her tail, summoning forwards eight other cats who came to stand behind her. "We are StarClan, Hazel. We have chosen you to be leader of a new Clan – FallenClan. You can recruit rogues to become part of your Clan. We will teach you to hunt and fight in your dreams. You will have nine lives as a leader, and power – lots of power. Don't you want that?"

Hazel's ears pricked slightly, and she nodded. "Of course I do. And you'll help me? You'll help me create this… FallenClan?"

The starry she-cat nodded. "Yes, Hazel. We will be there to guide you every step of the way."

Then many things happened all at once. Hazel received her nine lives, and felt either excruciating pain, strangely calm, or a mixture of both every time she was given one. The process was strange, but when the final cat touched noses with her and she was able to step back, she felt powerful. Untouchable. She felt like she could to anything in the world if she put her mind to it.

And when the StarClan cats called out her new name – Hazelstar – there was no doubt left in her mind that this is what she was destined for. To lead a strong, powerful Clan for seasons, and finally coming to live in StarClan to watch her Clan grow over many generations.

Yet when the StarClan cats bid her goodbye and she woke up, blinking and narrowing her eyes to the harsh light of dawn, Hazelstar didn't want to obey every law of this 'warrior code'. It was just a bunch of stupid rules – who were the StarClan cats to tell her what to do and how to live? She had immense power now. She had nine lives.

And there was nothing any cat could do to stop her.


	2. Chapter 1

_**Spottedcloud**_

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><p>Spottedcloud didn't know if leaf-bare could ever get colder than this. She paused at the entrance of camp to shake off the clumps of snow that clung to her pelt, then continued on her way, taking her catch – two small, scrawny mice – into camp to eat.<p>

Hazelstar hadn't bothered telling her warriors to bring any fresh-kill to queens or elders – if the Clan ever had any. The only queen at the moment was Ashpetal, and she wouldn't stay like that for long. Her kits were almost two moons old – almost ready to be apprenticed. Hazelstar had also decided that apprentices became warriors at six moons old. Spottedcloud had heard some things about the warrior code from Thrushwing, the oldest warrior in FallenClan, but Hazelstar had insisted that StarClan and the warrior code were just stories for kits, and didn't really exist.

Spottedcloud absently bit into one of the mice, feeling relaxed in the almost silent camp. The kits were asleep while their mother was out hunting for them, and most of the apprentices were either asleep or out training with their mentors.

The only noise Spottedcloud could hear was an odd rustling behind Hazelstar's den. Ears pricked curiously, she abandoned her prey and crept in the direction of the noise, dropping into a half-crouch.

Suddenly she poked her head behind the den and found herself staring into the eyes of two apprentices. Annoyed, Spottedcloud relaxed. "Mosspaw, Sootpaw, what are you doing back here?"

Sootpaw blinked sheepishly and stared at her paws. "Well, we… Birchkit told us that Hazelstar kept her own stash of prey back here. We just wanted to see if it was true."

Spottedcloud sighed. "Sootpaw, you're almost six moons and ready to be a warrior. A good warrior trusts her leader's word and not idle gossip from her Clanmates."

Sootpaw gave her chest fur a quick lick. "I know. I'm sorry, Spottedcloud."

"But Birchkit said it was really true!" Mosspaw piped up. "He said he and Swallowkit had seen it themselves!" She looked like she was about to say something else, but stopped herself.

Spottedcloud turned and padded out of the small space, motioning for the apprentices to follow. When they were all out in the open, Spottedcloud led them into Hazelstar's den.

The two apprentices flattened their ears nervously, and when Hazelstar saw them, she looked at Spottedcloud curiously.

Spottedcloud dipped her head respectfully before flicking her tail in the direction of the apprentices. "Hazelstar, I found these two rooting around behind your den. They were under the impression that you kept prey back there."

Hazelstar slowly rose to her paws, her eyes never leaving the apprentices. Finally, she spoke. "Both of you should know that each cat in the Clan must hunt for itself. You violate the warrior code by taking prey you haven't caught yourselves."

"That's not the warrior code," Mosspaw said quietly, meeting Hazelstar's gaze angrily. Spottedcloud blinked at the young apprentice in astonishment, and Hazelstar narrowed her eyes.

"It's not the warrior code," Mosspaw continued. "The warrior code says that queens and elders must be fed first, and that we must hunt for the Clan before taking prey for ourselves. The warrior code tells us to put others before ourselves. It never told us to only hunt for ourselves. You did."

Hazelstar fluffed out her fur angrily. "You will be confined to camp for two days," she growled. "During that time, you will not be allowed to eat any prey. You will have no opportunities to hunt, and you will be guarded at all times. Then perhaps you will think twice before addressing your leader that way."

Spottedcloud had to admire Mosspaw for speaking out against Hazelstar, but she was worried about the apprentice's punishment. Mosspaw was about three moons old, maybe a bit more, and she might not be able to survive starvation for two days.

"As for you," Hazelstar continued, looking at Sootpaw. "You will still receive your warrior name today, but you will guard Mosspaw for one day. You will not hunt while you are guarding her."

Sootpaw dipped her head gratefully. "I understand. Thank you, Hazelstar." She and Mosspaw scurried out of the den, and Spottedcloud was about to follow when Hazelstar stopped her.

"You've been doing a lot of duties around camp lately, Spottedcloud," Hazelstar murmured. "Can I ask you a question?"

Spottedcloud nodded, wondering where Hazelstar was going with this. The leader didn't normally have lengthy talks with other cats unless she was punishing them.

"Are you doing this for power?" Hazelstar's eyes were calm, but Spottedcloud could see a flicker of fear in them.

"Of course not," Spottedcloud replied, confused. "I'm still a loyal warrior of FallenClan."

Hazelstar sighed slightly. "Just make sure you stay that way," she murmured. "Thank you for your time, Spottedcloud. You may go now."

Spottedcloud looked curiously at Hazelstar before leaving. The usually powerful ginger she-cat looked tired and scared, like she had been running away from something for many moons and had finally given up. It worried Spottedcloud; even though Hazelstar could be cruel at times, she never seemed to falter, even when she was confronting cats who had disobeyed the false code she'd laid down.

When she was almost out of the den though, Hazelstar called her back again. "Tell Thrushwing and Nightstream to take their apprentices out for training when they get back from patrol. You will guard the camp with Scorchfrost."

Spottedcloud's ears twitched uncomfortably, but she nodded and left, bounding away quickly so Hazelstar didn't have time to think of anything else to say.

She met Scorchfrost as he was trotting over to his nest to eat a mouse he'd just caught. The mottled tom looked up warily, suspicion showing in his amber eyes, and he curled his claws around his mouse.

Spottedcloud flicked her tail. "Hazelstar wants us to guard the camp," she meowed. Scorchfrost eyed her for a moment longer before gulping down the scrawny mouse and following her over to the camp entrance.

Even though he was a young warrior – about ten moons – he was strong and prepared to defend his Clan with his life. Spottedcloud could remember when he had been just a small kit. Hazelstar and Softfeather had found him while they were on patrol. A few moons later, they'd found Mosspaw and Darkpaw – Mosskit and Darkkit then – at the camp entrance. It was interesting, to say the least. Maybe some cat knew about FallenClan and was trying to help increase their numbers by leaving kits in their care.

Spottedcloud doubted this, though. It was likely just some young queen who hadn't planned on having kits and wasn't ready to take care of them, so she'd left them with FallenClan instead.

Scorchfrost tensed and his ears pricked as cats approached. Spottedcloud could hear them, too, but it was only the patrol returning. She stopped Thrushwing and Nightstream as they padded into camp and told them Hazelstar's orders; the two senior warriors nodded and took their prey over to their nests to eat.

A noise from over near the nursery alerted her, and she looked up to see Swallowkit and Birchkit tussling in the snow, letting out squeals of delight. Their mother Ashpetal watched them with sad eyes. They would be apprenticed any day now, and there was no telling who Hazelstar would choose to mentor them. Cherrynose would have been a good mentor, but she'd told Spottedcloud that she was expecting kits and was going to move into the nursery soon.

As for the other cats without an apprentice – Spottedcloud was one, of course, and Scorchfrost, but the younger warrior was too inexperienced. Would Hazelstar choose to mentor one of the kits herself?

Spottedcloud dismissed the thought immediately. Hazelstar rarely interacted with her own Clan except when she was ordering patrols about or dealing with a troublesome apprentice. Besides, Spottedcloud had a feeling that Hazelstar wouldn't dare leave camp to go train an apprentice, anyways.

Mosspaw was sitting a little ways off in her nest, with Sootpaw standing watch over her. The smaller, mottled she-cat looked miserable and it showed in her amber eyes when she looked up slightly to meet Spottedcloud's gaze.

Spottedcloud quickly turned away and tried to assume the same position as Scorchfrost, straightening her back and shoulders and staring ahead blankly, only moving when she needed to scratch at her ear.

It was a terribly boring position, and Spottedcloud soon relaxed to stretch her near-frozen paws out, stifling a yawn. She had no idea how long she and Scorchfrost had been standing guard, but it was already sunset, and she was starving.

She walked away from the camp entrance and caught sight of Flamepelt getting ready to sleep. She meowed a quick apology and explained that she wanted to go hunting. The ginger warrior looked slightly annoyed, but he nodded and took her place at the guard post Scorchfrost's ears twitched as Flamepelt settled down beside him, but he kept staring straight ahead.

Spottedcloud had to stifle a purr of laughter at the young warrior's solemn expression as she passed by. The crisp, cool air of leaf-bare immediately alerted her senses and she quickly caught the scent of a mouse scuffling around for food under a tree. Instinctively dropping into a crouch, she shuffled closer to the mouse until she was close enough to attack it. She pounced on the mouse easily, cutting off its loud squeal of shock when she quickly sank her teeth into the soft flesh on the back of its neck.

Satisfied with her catch, Spottedcloud dropped the mouse and examined it. It was small and scrawny, like all the prey during leaf-bare, but it would do. She picked it up and carried it back to camp, a bit disappointed that she hadn't managed to find more prey. She would have liked to give something to Mosspaw, even if it was against Hazelstar's orders. She also didn't think that Hazelstar's treatment of the young apprentice was fair. Softfeather, one of FallenClan's senior warriors, used to tell Spottedcloud stories when she was an apprentice, saying that in the time of the ancient Clans, apprentices were maybe punished by having to look after the elders for a few moons, or being confined to camp for a moon, but still allowed to eat.

Poor Mosspaw wouldn't get to eat for two days.

Spottedcloud soon made her way over to her nest, which was close to Hazelstar's den. Hazelstar had complained about it before, saying that she didn't like any cat so close to her den, but Spottedcloud had assured her that she only used her nest for sleeping, not plotting against her leader. That had seemed to satisfy Hazelstar, but she had still been suspicious of Spottedcloud for a few moons, going as far as to appoint Thrushwing and Nightstream as bodyguards.

Spottedcloud snorted softly at the memory as she bit into the cold flesh of the mouse. Hazelstar seemed to be afraid of everything these days. She was always suspecting other cats of opposing her or trying to kill her.

Finishing off the mouse, Spottedcloud yawned and curled up, shivering as the wind buffeted her short, dappled fur. Tomorrow Ashpetal's kits would be apprenticed, she was sure of it, and a small part of her hoped that she would finally get her own apprentice.

She hoped that she would get Swallowkit – the small she-kit was generally calm and patient, and always thought things through instead of getting into trouble all the time like her brother. Spottedcloud had lost track of the number of times Birchkit had been brought to Hazelstar's den. The young tom had always emerged with wide eyes and fluffed-out fur, and he had always promised to never get into trouble again.

But trouble followed Birchkit wherever he went, and every time he was caught he was brought to Hazelstar to have a stern talking-to from the leader, and every time he emerged completely terrified. Spottedcloud remembered being confused when he left Hazelstar's den shaking. The huge ginger she-cat could be imposing and cruel sometimes, but she wasn't all that terrifying. Birchkit's fear of her was mostly unneeded.

Sleep gripped Spottedcloud tighter with every passing moment, and even though she tried to stay awake, she finally fell asleep; the last thing that passed through her mind was a sudden image of Hazelstar standing at the camp entrance, her unsheathed claws dripping blood.


	3. Chapter 2

_**Swallowkit**_

* * *

><p><em><em>"Ow! Stop!"

Swallowkit let out a purr of amusement as Ashpetal groomed Birchkit's fur with rough, short licks. Birchkit wriggled away from his mother and gave one of his forelegs a quick lick. Swallowkit turned her head slightly to admire the glossy sheen of her brown-and-white speckled fur, happiness welling in her chest until she felt she was about to burst. They were going to be apprentices!

She could already hear Hazelstar calling for the Clan to gather in front of her den. Among the warriors, Swallowkit could see Spottedcloud talking quietly with Mosspaw. The young apprentice's eyes were dull and as she said something to Spottedcloud, she seemed to cough slightly.

Swallowkit had no time to dwell on Mosspaw's illness. She padded forwards to face Hazelstar, Birchkit scrambling up behind her. His patchy fur was slightly fluffed out again, and Swallowkit fought to keep a straight face when she caught sight of the spiky fur along his spine.

"Birchkit," Hazelstar meowed. "You are two moons old, and ready to become an apprentice. From this day on, until you have earned your warrior name, you will be called Birchpaw." She looked up, her bright eyes seeking out one warrior in particular. "Spottedcloud, you will be mentor to Birchpaw."

The tortoiseshell she-cat looked up in surprise and quietly got to her paws, weaving through the crowd of warriors to come forwards and gently touch noses with Birchpaw. Many of the gathered cats let out low purrs of approval; Spottedcloud was a well-respected cat in the Clan.

Hazelstar's gaze lingered on Spottedcloud for a moment longer. Swallowkit thought she saw the leader's eyes flash with fear before she looked back at Swallowkit. "From this moment on, you will be known as Swallowpaw."

Swallowpaw's heart beat faster, and she had to keep herself from looking over her shoulder at the warriors behind her. Who would her mentor be?

"I have chosen to mentor you myself. I hope you will grow into a strong warrior of FallenClan."

Swallowpaw couldn't contain a grin as she stretched her neck to touch noses with Hazelstar. Her mentor was FallenClan's leader – what an honor! The Clan moved forwards to congratulate her and Birchpaw. Ashpetal padded up to her kits happily, her eyes shining with pride. She licked Birchpaw between the ears before moving over to touch noses with Swallowpaw.

For a brief moment, Swallowpaw wondered if she would be a queen one day, and have kits of her own. She decided that she wouldn't. She had to remain a strong asset to her Clan – perhaps she'd even be leader one day.

Swallowpaw padded over to Hazelstar once the mass of cats around them had ceased. "What are we doing today?"

Hazelstar twitched her ears, looking uncomfortable. "We'll start training tomorrow. For now, I want you to go out and catch some prey for yourself."

Swallowpaw frowned slightly. "But I don't know how to hunt yet… remember?"

"Then starve!" Hazelstar snapped. "You're required to hunt for yourself, Swallowpaw. If you can't obey the warrior code, I can't trust you in my Clan."

Mosspaw, passing by, scoffed and glared angrily at Hazelstar before trotting over to her nest and curling up pointedly, her tail curled around her nose. Swallowpaw watched her, confused, but when she looked back up, Hazelstar had retreated into her den.

Swallowpaw blinked in confusion as she saw Spottedcloud taking Birchpaw out to hunt. Anger swelled within her, but she quickly swallowed her rage, padding silently after the two other cats.

The thick blanket of snow made it hard to hear anything, let alone prey. Swallowpaw twitched her ears in frustration, trying to pick up any noises. Eventually she gave up trying to listen for prey and quickly scanned the surrounding area instead. She caught sight of a rabbit half-hidden behind a tree, whiskers twitching as it watched her. Swallowpaw pretended to be disinterested and padded away, but she quickly doubled back and crept up slowly on the rabbit. She leapt as soon as she saw its ears prick, and sunk her claws into its shoulders. For a moment she struggled against the rabbit's weight, but instinct told her to bite its neck, so she did, and soon she was standing proudly with her catch. She gripped hold of it and started to drag it back to camp, but she was suspicious about how plump the rabbit was. Leaf-bare was a hard time for everything, including prey. The rabbit should have been thin and scrawny, and hiding in its burrow instead of out in the open.

Remembering something Ashpetal had told her about Twolegs poisoning prey, Swallowpaw relaxed her grip on the rabbit slightly and sniffed it suspiciously, but she couldn't pick up anything that smelled dangerous. She resumed her task of getting it back to camp, and her ears twitched as she heard paw-steps behind her.

Spottedcloud and Birchpaw came up beside her, each carrying their own prey. Birchpaw had managed to catch a plump mouse, but all Spottedcloud had was a small, scrawny squirrel. Birchpaw's eyes widened as he saw his sister's catch. "Wow!" He mewed in astonishment. "Where'd you find a rabbit like that in the middle of leaf-bare?"

Swallowpaw twitched her whiskers, amused. "It flew down from the sky," she replied, her voice muffled slightly by the rabbit in her jaws. Birchpaw purred and flicked her gently with his tail-tip, but Spottedcloud tilted her head curiously as she stared at the rabbit, her amber eyes clouded with confusion.

"Birchpaw's right," the tortoiseshell warrior began. "It is the middle of leaf-bare, Swallowpaw. Rabbits are generally scarce, and so is prey as well-fed as that one."

Swallowpaw sighed. "It's prey! Why does it matter?"

Spottedcloud frowned, but she continued leading the apprentices back to camp. Birchpaw moved closer to Swallowpaw and pressed his thick fur against hers for warmth as a gust of wind blew past them.

"Why do we all have to sleep separately?" Swallowpaw meowed suddenly. She was a bit disappointed when Spottedcloud didn't answer, but she followed the older warrior.

The rabbit made her jaws and muscles ache and she began to fall back due to the weight of her catch and her small size. She wasn't glad that she had to trek through the forest when she was only two moons old, but she was determined to become a warrior.

"We're back," Spottedcloud announced after a while. She looked at the apprentices, and Swallowpaw thought she saw a flicker of sympathy in the tortoiseshell's eyes. "You'd better go and make yourself some nests," she told them. "I'll take you both out for training later."

Swallowpaw nodded and trotted over to a spot near one corner of camp. Ashpetal had told her to make her nest there, since it was close to the entrance, meaning she could get away if they were attacked, it was separate from the other warriors, and it was warm.

Ashpetal had told Swallowpaw that Birchpaw had almost died of whitecough a few days after he'd been kitted, and she'd warned them to stay warm at all costs during leaf-bare, as it would lower their chances of getting ill.

Spottedcloud had followed Swallowpaw over to her nest; she dropped the rabbit on the ground. "It's your catch," she meowed. "You can eat all of it."

Blinking, Swallowpaw stared at the rabbit. She didn't dare hesitate any longer, instantly tearing into the soft flesh and tearing off a chunk of meat. She savoured the taste before swallowing it, and turned back to her nest, being careful to keep the rabbit in front of her so none of the other cats could steal it.

She was startled when Hazelstar called the Clan together for a meeting. She hastily scraped some moss and bracken over the rabbit and scampered over to sit beside Birchpaw and Ashpetal.

"She's making new warriors," Birchpaw told her, flicking his tail. His eyes glowed with anticipation. "I can't wait until I'm six moons old!"

"Only four moons left," purred Ashpetal. "Both of you have great mentors; you'll probably be the best warriors in the Clan."

Swallowpaw puffed her chest out with pride and looked up at her mother gratefully.

"Cats of FallenClan," Hazelstar meowed. "We are gathered here today for two reasons. One, it is my duty as leader to make a new warrior whenever an apprentice has reached the age of six moons. We are very lucky to welcome three warriors into our Clan today. Snowpaw, Frostpaw, Sootpaw, please come forwards."

The three apprentices obeyed her, their eyes wide with excitement. Swallowpaw couldn't help but feel the same; she and Birchpaw would be warriors in four moons.

"This warrior ceremony is long overdue," continued Hazelstar, "but I am glad to finally give these apprentices the reward they deserve for their dedication and hard work for their Clan. Snowpaw, from this moment on, you will be called Snowfern. We prize your quick thinking and kindness. Frostpaw, you will be known as Frostflight, for your speed and skills when hunting. Sootpaw you will be known as Sootblaze, for you are strong-willed as well as strong in battle. We welcome you all as warriors of FallenClan."

"Snowfern! Frostflight! Sootblaze!"

The Clan chanted the names of the new warriors, and Swallowpaw joined in, excited that she was able to witness this.

Hazelstar raised her tail for silence, and the clearing suddenly grew so quiet that Swallowpaw could have heard a mouse rustling under a leaf. Hazelstar looked so solemn, after naming the new warriors, and it scared Swallowpaw slightly.

"I hope that you all understand why I am doing this," Hazelstar began, her ears twitching nervously. "Yesterday, Mosspaw was caught behind my den, looking for prey that she thought I had stored."

Swallowpaw noticed Birchpaw flick his ears uncomfortably, and he lowered his head, staring intently at a blade of grass between his paws. He had told Mosspaw and Sootblaze that he'd seen Hazelstar storing prey behind there even though he'd only seen her eat behind her den once. Swallowpaw guessed that he had been trying to win the favour of the she-cats.

"I am sorry to tell you that Mosspaw will be exiled," Hazelstar announced, her plumed tail lashing the air. "She is ill, and she must be kept away from the camp until she is better so she does not contaminate every cat in this Clan."

Looking closer at Mosspaw, Swallowpaw could see that Hazelstar was right. The young apprentice looked tired and weary, and she was coughing occasionally, trying to hide it by pressing her muzzle against her chest. What was even more shocking, though, was the silence that met Hazelstar's words. No cat objected to her demand that Mosspaw leave the camp. Even though Spottedcloud's eyes burned with anger, she was smart enough to keep quiet.

All eyes were trained on Mosspaw as she slowly got to her paws, shaking slightly from the weakness brought on by lack of food, and, head bowed, padded across the clearing and out of camp.

Hazelstar didn't even have to dismiss the meeting; already, cats were beginning to mill around again, and when Swallowpaw returned to her nest to finish off her rabbit, she was shaking almost as badly as Mosspaw had been. She was stunned that no other cat in the Clan cared about her.

Swallowpaw understood why Ashpetal didn't want her or Birchpaw to get sick. Was Hazelstar really this willing to turn cats away? Troubled, Swallowpaw sat down and took another bite of her rabbit.


	4. Chapter 3

_****_**A/N: Okay, then- thank you fallenshadow962 and Rabbitdash of Dusk Clan for reviewing! I'm glad you like the story so far :)**

**Rabbitdash of Dusk Clan- What Spottedcloud saw didn't actually happen; it was StarClan trying to send a dream to her that warned her of what Hazelstar would do. Since FallenClan doesn't believe in StarClan, she only saw flashes of it. I hope it's better explained in this chapter~**

* * *

><p><em><strong>Hazelstar<strong>_

Fear. It was something that gripped her in icy claws every day, threatening to destroy her and push her to the point of madness. Hazelstar had to admit, she was trying too hard to create a perfect world. Her Clan was shaped around her power, and she was the center of the warrior code, not StarClan.

The only problem was that FallenClan was dangerous. She had just driven away one of the traitors today. Mosspaw didn't trust her, and that was the first sign her power was fading. If a cat could see through the web of lies and deceit she had woven, it was only a matter of time before the rest of them turned on her.

She still felt nervous about taking an apprentice. How was she to know that Swallowpaw wouldn't decide to suddenly betray her? Her tail flicking uneasily, Hazelstar settled down to sleep, watching as the dim light of sunset seeped into her den through the entrance. If she looked at it the right way, it looked like pools of blood.

Darkness swept over her as soon as she closed her eyes, and she opened them again almost immediately to find herself in a dimly-lit clearing, with hardly any moonlight.

Her ears twitched at the sound of pawsteps behind her and she whirled around, fur bristling.

"Relax, Hazelstar. It's only me."

"Ferntail." Hazelstar greeted the StarClan cat with a nod of her head. Ferntail had been her mentor while she was still learning to hunt and fight, and she was glad that the gray she-cat had been such a good teacher.

Ferntail sat down a few tail-lengths away from Hazelstar, curling her tail around her paws and fixing her former apprentice with narrowed gold eyes. "You have not honoured what we gave to you," she meowed, her voice calm though Hazelstar could tell she was fighting to keep it that way.

Hazelstar shrugged. "You gave me nine lives and the title of leader; I created a Clan, just like you wanted. I've learned all I can from StarClan."

Ferntail's ears twitched, and her tail-tip flicked impatiently. "You have learned nothing at all!" She snapped. "You have not learned to respect StarClan or the warrior code. You live alone, hoarding the power we gave you for your own uses."

Hazelstar fluffed out her fur angrily, meeting Ferntail's glare. "I have been a true leader to my Clan! I have taught them how to fend for themselves, and we have survived for many moons."

When Ferntail spoke again, her voice was a low, angry hiss. "A true leader would give every one of her lives to protect her Clan."

"Are you questioning my authority?" Hazelstar hissed, stalking closer to the StarClan warrior. "As I said before, I have learned all I can from you. You taught me to hunt and fight and granted me power. You're all a bunch of dead cats! What power do you have?"

Ferntail rose to her paws, her eyes burning with anger. "You'd be surprised," she growled. "A new dawn is coming, Hazelstar. Did you really think you'd be able to hide from StarClan? The warriors of FallenClan deserve better than what you've created for them. We have already begun to send dreams of the future to some cats."

Hazelstar didn't completely believe her, but her tail-tip twitched nervously. "Which cats?"

The gray-furred she-cat lashed her tail. "Do you really think I'm that mouse-brained? If I tell you, you'll only go out and kill them all, or banish them. It is difficult, though. You have never allowed your warriors to believe in StarClan, so they push our dreams away and dismiss them as nightmares brought on by lack of sleep or prey. But I will tell you this – we will get through to them. And you will stand by and watch as your leadership crumbles until you are what you always were – nothing."

With that, she turned and walked away, disappearing through the bushes. Hazelstar bounded after her, but all she could see was a faint trail of stars. Her anger threatened to overwhelm her, but she fought back a yowl of rage and focused on breathing.

All of a sudden, it seemed as though all the cats of StarClan were wailing at her, calling her out for ignoring them and their stupid warrior code. Hazelstar lashed her tail defiantly, but fear made her paws shake slightly.

A cat appeared in front of her then – a pitch-black tom with short, sleek fur and dark green eyes the color of pine needles. His claws kneaded the soft ground as he met Hazelstar's gaze.

"Nightfur," she murmured, nodding at the tom. "Why have you come here? I thought you were killed all those moons ago in the argument with the others."

Nightfur shook his head. "The Place of No Stars is no match for StarClan," he growled. "I survived, but I suffered some… injuries." He flicked his tail nervously, and for the first time Hazelstar noticed that he seemed to have faded slightly. She could faintly see the trees behind him through his fur.

"Your fate will be far worse," Nightfur warned. "StarClan have seen your death – and it will not be a kind one. I know what you fear, Hazelstar. You fear death, but you cannot stop it. I promise you, you will get what you deserve."

Hazelstar felt a chill run down her spine, but she struggled to keep calm as Nightfur slowly rose to his paws and seemed to melt away before her eyes. StarClan had seen her death? She stared blankly ahead, trying to comprehend what Nightfur had just told her. If StarClan knew she was going to die, she would have to watch her Clanmates even more closely.

She was surprised that it was sunhigh when she awoke. When she peered out into camp, she could see Swallowpaw lying on her back in her nest, looking bored. The young apprentice batted at a snowflake with one paw.

Hazelstar only felt slightly guilty that she was ignoring her apprentice. Instead of going to train Swallowpaw, she turned around and padded back inside her den.

It wasn't long until Swallowpaw entered the den, her pale eyes shining with excitement. "Can we train now?" She mewed, her ears twitching.

"I suppose so," Hazelstar sighed, getting to her paws and following her apprentice out of camp. She stiffened when Swallowpaw veered away from camp, and rushed in front of her apprentice to change their direction, instead leading them in the opposite direction.

Swallowpaw wrinkled her nose as they drew closer. "What's that? It smells icky."

"It's Twolegplace," Hazelstar informed her. She had stumbled upon the area while looking for a good spot for FallenClan's camp. "You'll be able to refine your hunting skills if you have Twoleg stench blocking your nose."

Swallowpaw flicked an ear in distaste, but she obediently crouched down and parted her jaws to taste the air. "I can smell a faint trace of squirrel," she reported, swiping her tongue around her mouth.

"First of all," Hazelstar growled, "your crouch is completely off-balance. You're supposed to stay flat against the ground, not walk around with your rear in the air. Crouch lower."

Swallowpaw obeyed, flattening herself against the ground. "Like this?"

Hazelstar nodded. "Better. Now, try catching the squirrel."

With small, quick pawsteps, Swallowpaw crept closer to where Hazelstar assumed she could smell or hear the squirrel. The dark tabby apprentice narrowed her eyes, tail waving slightly, and then pounced on a clump of leaves.

The squirrel let out a shocked squeal as Swallowpaw disturbed its hiding place and darted out before Swallowpaw could catch it. Hazelstar quickly moved to intercept it, easily flipping it into the air with one blow of her paw and catching it in her jaws, giving it a quick bite to the neck.

Swallowpaw's eyes widened. "That was amazing!" She mewed. "Could you show me how to do that?"

Hazelstar shook her head. "I'll show you another time. We'd better head back to camp now; did you hear the squirrel cry out? That'll have frightened off every bit of prey for fox-lengths."

"Oh." Swallowpaw blinked, her head lowered slightly. "I'm sorry, Hazelstar. I misjudged the jump."

Hazelstar shrugged. "Prey is prey," she meowed dismissively. "You can have the squirrel, since you'll need to keep your strength up for battle training later."

She picked the squirrel up, flicking her tail to signal for Swallowpaw to follow. Before they had gone a few pawsteps, though, she heard a loud yowl from behind them.

Hazelstar whirled around to see two cats perched on the wall that separated the Twolegplace from the forest. One was a large dark brown tom with piercing amber eyes; the other was a pale gray tom.

The brown tabby dropped from the wall and stalked over to Hazelstar and Swallowpaw. The young apprentice fluffed out her fur angrily and arched her back, her lip curling in a silent hiss.

Hazelstar narrowed her eyes. "What are you doing here?" She growled. "This is FallenClan territory. We'll drive you off if we have to."

The brown tom gave a _mrrow _of laughter. "Drive me off? I'm protecting my, territory, if you must know, so I suggest you get off it." He leaned in closer to her, his lip curled in a snarl. "Now. And while you're at it, I'd like the squirrel as well, seeing as you caught it on _my _territory."

"That squirrel feeds our Clan!" Hazelstar screeched, leaping at him. The tabby tom, taken by surprise, allowed himself to be knocked off his paws, but he quickly recovered, struggling against Hazelstar's grip. The pale gray tom had come to join his friend and was now fighting Swallowpaw. Hazelstar knew she should go help the young apprentice; after all, Swallowpaw hadn't had any battle training yet; but she was pulled out of her thoughts as the brown tabby clawed at her face, yowling in anger.

Hazelstar pulled back, running her claws along his flank as she did so. The tom screeched in pain and leapt to his paws, fur bristling as Hazelstar went to knock the pale tom off Swallowpaw.

Just as she and Swallowpaw had driven off the gray tom, however, Hazelstar felt a sharp pain in the back of her neck. She was lifted off her paws by the dark brown tom; despite her struggles to escape, she felt another sharp pain and her vision began to dim. Panic flowed through her as she realized she was going to lose a life. The last thing she heard before she died was Swallowpaw's panicked yowl.

"Hazelstar, wake up."

Hazelstar stirred at the sound of the soft voice in her ear. Blinking open her eyes, she saw a pale gray she-cat. "Dovewing," she rasped. Dovewing, a warrior of the ancient Clans, had given her a life during her leaders' ceremony. Dovewing's blue eyes were expressionless as Hazelstar slowly stood up and looked around.

"You gave your life to save your apprentice," Dovewing murmured. "Perhaps you are beginning to learn something after all."

"I had no choice," Hazelstar spat, lashing her tail angrily. "If I'd let her die, I could have made enemies within the Clan."

Dovewing narrowed her eyes. "Then you haven't changed after all," she hissed. "You're still the same selfish leader. Power shouldn't be everything, Hazelstar. Your Clan should mean more to you than your own worthless life."

She flicked her tail, and Hazelstar felt strength flow through her as Dovewing and the rest of StarClan began to fade.

"Goodbye, Hazelstar," Dovewing murmured. "Remember what I told you."

When Hazelstar awoke, she ached all over, but the two rogues were gone and Swallowpaw was crouching over her anxiously.

"You're alright!" The apprentice squealed. "I thought you were dead…. Weren't you?"

"Clan leaders have nine lives," Hazelstar growled, heaving herself to her paws. "I've lost one of them now."

Swallowpaw pricked her ears. "Do you really have nine lives?" She mewed, her eyes wide.

Hazelstar nodded. "Yes. Now let's get the prey and return to camp. We need to leave before those two rogues return." Her fur bristled as she said this, and she looked around worriedly, as though the cats who had attacked them were still watching her, waiting for the chance to jump her and take another of her lives.

Swallowpaw nodded and nudged the squirrel towards her; Hazelstar picked it up and padded off in the direction of camp, not bothering to look back and see if the apprentice was following her.

When they entered camp, many cats stared at them in shock. Hazelstar hadn't noticed the amount of blood on her and Swallowpaw; Ashpetal made a shocked-sounding noise and darted over to her daughter, licking her fur vigorously.

Hazelstar dropped the squirrel near Swallowpaw's nest before retreating to her den and lying down to groom her ruffled fur. She reminded herself to go hunting with a few of her warriors later on; she had to determine which cats StarClan had been sending dreams to.

She had to admit that it worried her; after losing a life, she felt even more suspicious of her warriors. Exhausted from the fight, Hazelstar curled up in her nest, drifting into a disturbed, dreamless sleep.


	5. Chapter 4

_**Birchpaw**_

It had been a few days since Swallowpaw and Hazelstar had been injured while training. Swallowpaw had been sleeping in Ashpetal's nest while her wounds healed; their mother didn't want her to get greencough from sleeping by alone while she was injured.

Now Birchpaw was out on patrol with Hazelstar, Snowfern, and Rippleclaw, which he, along with most of the warriors, found odd – Hazelstar rarely sent out patrols, let alone led them herself. The duty of leading the patrol was usually given to one of the senior warriors. Spottedcloud had disappeared instead of taking him out for training, which is why he'd offered to join the patrol. His mentor had been gone an awful lot lately, and it puzzled him.

Rippleclaw stopped him suddenly and looked down at Birchpaw. "Can you scent anything?" He meowed. Hazelstar and Snowfern had stopped as well, but they were a little ways ahead, talking in low voices.

Birchpaw concentrated, drawing air over his scent glands. "I can smell an odd scent," he meowed after a while, "and a damper scent. Is rain coming?"

Rippleclaw nodded. "Very good; the first thing you smelled was fox, which is something we'll have to look out for while on patrol. A full-grown one can be a match for even the most experienced warrior."

He glanced at Hazelstar as he said this, and Birchpaw understood what he meant. Ever since Hazelstar had lost a life, she'd become even more cautious, going so far as to appoint Softfeather and Thrushwing as bodyguards while she was in camp or going out hunting by herself. He wasn't the only one who had noticed this, either. He'd seen some of the senior warriors, including Flamepelt and Nightstream, question her about it.

Birchpaw just nodded and followed Rippleclaw as the patrol continued moving. Within a short time – though it seemed longer to Birchpaw because he was still barely a kit – they had come to a small clearing. The air was warmer there, and a small stream had begun to flow, bringing small chunks of ice with it.

"Newleaf is coming," Hazelstar observed, looking around the clearing. The snow had begun to melt as well, and was becoming muddier, creating clumps of sticky stuff that clung to Birchpaw's pelt when he stepped in it.

"We'll have more prey," mewed Snowfern, her eyes glinting with excitement. "We won't be at risk of catching greencough, either."

Rippleclaw flicked his tail. "More badgers and foxes, though. We'll have to put extra guards on the camp."

Hazelstar looked up, her eyes wide with alarm. "We won't be in any danger, will we?" Her voice shook slightly. "I'll have to send out extra patrols and put more warriors on guard duty."

"Why are you worried?" Birchpaw meowed, confused. It wasn't like Hazelstar to be so afraid of something.

Hazelstar turned her head to glare at him. "I'm worried about my Clan," she hissed. "It is my duty as a leader to make sure FallenClan is safe."

Birchpaw blinked and looked around. "I can't see anything dangerous," he mewed, "and it's still leaf-bare. Greenleaf is a long way off, isn't it?" He had never seen what the forest looked like in greenleaf, since he was born towards the end of leaf-fall, but his mother had told him and Swallowpaw about it. He couldn't wait until the weather showed more signs of warming up.

Hazelstar's eyes narrowed and she flicked Birchpaw's ears with the tip of her tail. "Remember, you're still just a kit," she growled warningly. "You have no authority over my decisions."

Birchpaw watched as she padded away, noticing that she still seemed worried. It confused him; Ashpetal had told him stories of great, noble leaders prepared to give their lives for their Clans, but Hazelstar seemed to be exactly the opposite of that. Instead of being wise and powerful, she was weak and scared of losing her lives.

Birchpaw felt something brush his shoulder and looked up to see Rippleclaw watching him. "Do you want to practice hunting?" Rippleclaw meowed. "Spottedcloud's gone, so you might not get any training in today otherwise."

Birchpaw nodded and followed the warrior over to a small clearing patched by low bushes. One of the bushes near Birchpaw rustled, and he jumped slightly.

Rippleclaw let out a short purr of amusement. "You can usually find mice or squirrels under bushes, looking for food," he meowed. "Has Spottedcloud taught you any hunting techniques yet?"

Birchpaw nodded eagerly and dropped into a crouch, stalking towards a small branch lying in the clearing. He pounced, feeling his paws connect with the branch firmly and making a slight snapping noise.

Rippleclaw growled warningly and Birchpaw looked up to see a squirrel disappear up a tree. Feeling his pelt grow hot with embarrassment, he stepped back and looked at Rippleclaw apologetically.

Rippleclaw sighed, but he didn't seem that upset. "You're turning into a good hunter," the warrior noted, "but next time, try to focus on the prey. Sticks won't feed the Clan."

Birchpaw nodded, still embarrassed. "I'll catch something later," he mewed.

Rippleclaw shook his head. "Never mind. We'd better catch up with the patrol."

The rest of the patrol didn't take long; Hazelstar seemed determined to get it over with as quickly as possible. She jumped every time a twig cracked or the wind rustled the leaves overhead. Birchpaw assumed that losing a life made a leader temporarily weak, but he didn't understand why Hazelstar was being so jumpy.

Sighing, Birchpaw padded into camp, meeting Swallowpaw's gaze briefly as he passed by Ashpetal's nest. His sister looked weaker than before, even though her wounds had stopped bleeding.

Birchpaw settled into his nest uneasily; something was bothering him. It might have been Spottedcloud's mysterious disappearance or something else entirely.

Tired from the patrol, Birchpaw rested his head on his forepaws and closed his eyes, intending to sleep even though it was only just past sunhigh.

"Birchpaw."

He looked up, opening his eyes to a sunlit clearing with a few trees scattered here and there, light drifting through the branches. The bushes nearby rustled with the promise of prey, and he could hear a bird call out from somewhere above him.

His paws itched to pounce on a mouse or vole, but he sensed that something here wasn't right. He hadn't fallen asleep anywhere like this, and the camp didn't look like this either.

Birchpaw jumped as a cat padded out of the bushes. He turned around to see a slender brown tabby she-cat standing in front of him, her green eyes lit up in the bright sunlight.

"Hello, Birchpaw," she mewed warmly, settling herself on the sun-warmed grass. "I have been allowed to visit you in dreams, even though you've never heard of me. I gave your leader one of her nine lives."

Birchpaw's eyes widened. "You're a StarClan cat? How?"

The she-cat purred in amusement. "You do not know your leader like we do, young one. Yes, StarClan is real. Hazelstar has created a web of lies that poisons your Clan every day."

Birchpaw was still astonished that he was talking to a StarClan cat; but when he examined her closer he saw that starlight seemed to glisten in her fur, and she was surrounded by a faint glow, as if she were lit up by moonlight.

Before he could say anything else, the she-cat twitched her tail across his muzzle. "Now is not the time for questions," she warned, her friendly eyes darkening. "A great danger is coming to FallenClan. The past must not be forgotten, or Hazelstar will remain in control of FallenClan. Be wary of her, Birchpaw. She is much more than she seems to be."

Shocked, Birchpaw nodded. Had the she-cat just given him a prophecy?

Suddenly the she-cat stood up, her eyes betraying worry. "You have to wake up now, Birchpaw. Something's happening – something you need to find out about." She nudged his flank. "Go, quickly!"

"Aren't you going to tell me your name?" Birchpaw pressed.

The she-cat shook her head. "Another time. For now, you need to focus on saving your Clan." She turned and pelted off the way she'd come, her paws barely touching the ground.

Birchpaw jolted awake to steadily falling rain. His pelt was already damp, and the thick storm clouds overhead told him that the weather would get even worse. He couldn't help but feel annoyed – he'd been forced to wake up for this? Rain wasn't anything new or exciting.

"The StarClan cat must have had bees in her brain," he muttered. Darkpaw, who was sleeping nearby, raised his head and looked at Birchpaw suspiciously.

Birchpaw returned the older apprentice's gaze. "What?" He mewed, though he was worried that Darkpaw had overheard him.

Darkpaw shrugged and rested his head on his paws again. "Nothing," he replied. "I thought I heard you mention StarClan, that's all."

"I was saying that StarClan must not be real if they allow it to rain like this," Birchpaw meowed quickly, flicking raindrops off his ears. "I wish we had somewhere better to sleep than out in the open."

He cast a glance over at Ashpetal's nest. Swallowpaw was barely visible, curled up against the gray queen's flank. Birchpaw couldn't help but feel jealous. Ashpetal wouldn't care if he caught a cold. Just because Swallowpaw had a few scratches, she got to be shielded from the relentless rain. Hadn't Hazelstar told them that they should look out for themselves?

A movement near the camp entrance caught his eye. Spottedcloud was back, and Birchpaw could pick up a faint scent of herbs from where he was sitting. What had his mentor been doing?

Hazelstar seemed to notice, too. She padded out of her den and over to Spottedcloud, then said something to the tortoiseshell warrior. Birchpaw couldn't hear Spottedcloud's reply, but took the chance to question her as she went over to her nest.

"Where were you?" He demanded, glaring at his mentor.

Spottedcloud's ears twitched. "I decided to go out hunting in the morning," she began. "I had some prey, but then I saw a fox and ended up running into a patch of catmint. I tried to find a stream to wash the scent off, but it was sunhigh by the time I did. It took me the rest of the day to find my way back here." She looked at her paws. "I'm sorry, Birchpaw. I'll take you out training tomorrow, okay?"

Birchpaw tried to hide his disappointment. He knew that Spottedcloud was hiding something from him, but he couldn't figure out what. Before he could ask her what was wrong, she had gone over to her own nest and settled down to sleep.

Birchpaw decided to sleep as well, even if the StarClan cat didn't visit him in a dream this time. He fluffed out his fur against the rain and gradually fell into a peaceful sleep.


	6. Chapter 5

_**Spottedcloud**_

Spottedcloud still felt guilty about ignoring Birchpaw the day before, but she knew that she had to do this. She tried to remember the route she'd taken yesterday, and eventually found the clump of catmint. She picked a mouthful of leaves and started heading deeper into the forest, keeping an eye out for any other herbs she might need.

She was glad she knew how to do this sort of thing. Her mother, a former kittypet, had taught her how to use basic herbs, and which herbs were best for greencough and injuries. She'd often wondered how her mother had known what to use, but she couldn't dwell on it now.

Another familiar plant caught Spottedcloud's eye – beech leaves, good for carrying things. She picked one and placed the catmint leaves on it, then started looking for coltsfoot. There weren't very many flowers, but as it was almost newleaf, they were beginning to grow. She took what she could find and rolled the beech leaf over until she could carry the herbs in her jaws.

Eventually she found the spot she was looking for. The abandoned fox den was cleverly placed at the roots of a tree, and the entrance was small enough to be looked over easily. Spottedcloud pushed her way inside, ignoring the roots that brushed her back as she entered.

Another cat called a greeting from inside the den, and Spottedcloud placed the herbs down. "I'll go out and get some prey for you," she meowed. "Wait here until I return."

The other cat stepped forwards into the light, its mottled pelt blending in with the shadows. "No."

Spottedcloud sighed. "Mosspaw, we've been through this before. You need to eat."

Mosspaw shook her head. "I want to hunt with you. Just let me have some time to eat the catmint."

She unrolled the beech leaf. "What's this?" She mewed, nudging the coltsfoot with a forepaw.

"Coltsfoot," Spottedcloud replied. "You chew it up and rub it on your pads. They've been sore lately, haven't they?"

Mosspaw nodded and began to eat the catmint. "These herbs are working really well," she commented. "My cough is almost gone."

Spottedcloud purred. "Good. Soon enough you'll be able to return to the Clan."

The young apprentice lowered her gaze. "Are you sure?" She mewed quietly. "What if Hazelstar doesn't want me to come back?"

Spottedcloud pressed her muzzle against Mosspaw's flank. "She will," she murmured. "Let's start hunting now. You'll want to save the coltsfoot for later."

They spent a while hunting, and by the time they were finished they'd caught a few mice, a squirrel, and a thrush. Spottedcloud helped Mosspaw bring the prey back to the fox den, and put it in a corner to save for later.

Mosspaw pushed a mouse towards Spottedcloud. "Eat," she mewed. "One piece of prey missing won't matter to me, and you need to train Birchpaw as well. You'll need something to keep up your strength."

Spottedcloud accepted the mouse, but just as she was about to take a bite out of it, she stopped. "Oh, no," she whispered. She'd promised to take Birchpaw out for training, and he'd probably be awake by now. What if he told Hazelstar she was missing again?

She finished the mouse in a few quick bites and took the bones outside to bury. "I'm sorry, Mosspaw," she called over her shoulder as she left. "I'll come and visit you later, I promise!"

She pelted off towards camp, not caring if brambles snagged her pelt or burrs clung to her paws and legs. She was determined to train Birchpaw today, even if she had to leave Mosspaw alone for the rest of the day.

When she reached camp, Rippleclaw was just about to take Birchpaw out. Spottedcloud felt a rush of anger – Birchpaw was her apprentice. Why would he want to train with Rippleclaw?

She caught up with them quickly. "I'm sorry, Rippleclaw," she meowed coldly, shouldering him to one side. "I believe I promised my apprentice that I would train with him."

Rippleclaw looked hurt as she led Birchpaw into the woods. She knew she could have been nicer about it – after all, Mosspaw had been his apprentice and she was currently banished from camp – but she was still angry at him for even thinking that he could take Birchpaw out for training.

Her troubles were far from over, though. As soon as they were away from camp, Birchpaw looked up at her, his eyes burning with anger.

"Where were you yesterday?" He growled. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Spottedcloud flinched. "I can't tell you, Birchpaw. I'm sorry."

Birchpaw continued to glare at her. "I can tell Hazelstar you were away from camp the whole day yesterday, and for part of this morning. She might think you're plotting against her."

Spottedcloud sighed. "Alright, I promise that I'll show you later. I'll take you out at sunset."

Birchpaw's eyes narrowed, but he nodded. "Alright, Spottedcloud. Could we train today, though?"

Relieved, Spottedcloud took him a little ways away from camp. "You're still a kit," she mewed, looking around, "so you need to focus on finding smaller prey. I wouldn't send you up a tree this early in your training."

Birchpaw dropped into a half-crouch, tail waving. "I' m not a kit!" He mewed indignantly. "I'm an apprentice!"

"A kit," growled Spottedcloud, flicking his shoulder with the tip of her tail. "Now, try to scent a mouse."

They practiced hunting for a while, until Birchpaw complained that he was bored. Spottedcloud tried her best not to sigh, and instead led him back to camp. He'd managed to catch a small mouse, which was good enough for early newleaf.

Hazelstar beckoned Spottedcloud with her tail when she entered the camp with Birchpaw. Spottedcloud left Birchpaw and bounded over to Hazelstar, wondering what the ginger she-cat wanted.

"You've been disappearing an awful lot," Hazelstar growled. Spottedcloud held her breath; she had been expecting this, but she didn't want Hazelstar to find out that she was taking care of Mosspaw.

"I'm just looking for good spots to train Birchpaw," Spottedcloud mewed, trying to keep her voice steady.

Hazelstar twitched an ear. "That's not what you told me last night. Tell me, Spottedcloud, why should it take an entire day for you to return to camp when you've lived here for most of your life?"

Spottedcloud flicked her tail nervously. "Are you accusing me of something?"

"Oh, no," Hazelstar replied, shaking her head. "Not yet, at least. By the way, why are you so worried about me questioning you?" She leaned closer to Spottedcloud, her eyes narrowed. "It's almost as though you had something to hide."

"I don't," Spottedcloud mewed quickly, stepping back.

"Good." Hazelstar returned to her den, and Spottedcloud closed her eyes. If Mosspaw didn't get better soon, Hazelstar might follow her and find out what was going on; and Spottedcloud had a feeling that she wouldn't like it if she discovered that her Clanmates were sneaking around behind her back.

"Spottedcloud!"

She turned around and saw that Rippleclaw was bounding up to her. "Want to go hunting?" He asked, blinking expectantly at her.

Spottedcloud hesitated for a moment; then nodded. "Do you want me to bring Birchpaw?" She asked.

Rippleclaw shook his head. "I found a really good spot for hunting that I want to show you."

Spottedcloud narrowed her eyes slightly, suspicious. "Then why shouldn't I bring Birchpaw? It'll be a good experience for him."

"Just us for now," Rippleclaw meowed. "Please?"

Spottedcloud paused to look up at the sky, and suppressed a sigh. It was just past sunhigh, and they still had a while to go before sunset. "Alright," she mewed, looking at Rippleclaw. "I won't bring Birchpaw with me."

Rippleclaw brought her through a cluster of bushes until they reached a Twoleg path. There was a faint scent of dog there, but it was stale, probably a day or two old. No Twolegs were approaching, either, so they crossed.

Spottedcloud couldn't help but wonder where they were going as Rippleclaw led her past a cluster of trees, surrounded on one side by some sort of Twoleg material. Then they pushed through a few clumps of bracken and bushes, and Spottedcloud's eyes grew wide with amazement.

They were standing in front of a small lake. A huge willow tree hung over them, stretching its branches towards the ground as if it was shielding the two cats from danger. A breeze caused the water to ripple, and a few leaves that had been floating on the surface drifted closer to the shore.

"Like it?" meowed Rippleclaw, coming up behind her. "I found it by accident when I was chasing a squirrel. I thought you might want to see it."

Spottedcloud let out a faint purr of amusement. "It's beautiful," she mewed. After a while, she added, "do you think we could swim?"

Rippleclaw _mrrowed_ in amusement and bounded down towards the lake. When he reached it, he dove straight in, splashes of water flying up around his paws. "Come on!" He called over his shoulder. "It's fine!"

Spottedcloud went down to join him and leapt into the water, becoming submerged for a moment before she quickly resurfaced.

Rippleclaw swam over to join her and twitched his whiskers. "I didn't know you could swim."

"My mother taught me," she explained, remembering a day much like this one when her mother had taken her down to a stream and taught her how to swim. Now she churned her paws steadily in the water the way her mother had shown her, keeping her head above the surface.

They swam for a while, occasionally splashing each other with water. Once Rippleclaw went under the surface and came up with a fish. Spottedcloud had tried it after, but she didn't catch anything.

Eventually, they left the water and sat at the edge of the bank, pressed against each other to keep warm. Rippleclaw pushed the fish over to her.

"You must be hungry," he meowed, nodding at the fish. Spottedcloud purred gratefully and devoured it in a few quick bites.

"So," she mewed. "Why did you bring me out here?"

Rippleclaw looked at his paws. "I…"

Suddenly, a bright light caught Spottedcloud's attention. With a jolt of horror, she realized that it was almost sunset. Had they really been here for that long?

"I'm sorry, Rippleclaw," she apologized, getting up. "I promised Birchpaw I'd take him out hunting again. He'll be mad at me if I don't take him out before the moon rises."

Rippleclaw looked disappointed, but gave her a brisk nod and led her back to camp. Sure enough, Birchpaw was waiting there, absentmindedly scoring claw marks through a stick he held between his paws.

Spottedcloud padded over to him and nosed his shoulder. Almost at once, the apprentice shot up, eyes shining with excitement. "Are we going?"

She nodded, and flicked her tail across his muzzle to warn him to be silent. Birchpaw immediately grew serious and followed her as she left the camp. On their way out, they passed Cherrynose; the reddish tabby queen was sleeping deeply, her belly already slightly swollen from the kits she was carrying.

Spottedcloud led Birchpaw through the forest, retracing the route she'd taken before. He looked confused when she instructed him to pick some catmint leaves, but he obeyed, trotting after her with the leaves in his jaws.

Soon, they'd reached the den where Mosspaw was staying. Birchpaw looked at his mentor warily as Spottedcloud crept closer to the entrance and called a greeting.

Mosspaw's head poked out of the entrance. She purred and pressed her muzzle to Spottedcloud's shoulder in greeting, but pulled back when she saw Birchpaw watching them. The dappled apprentice slowly started backing towards the den, her fur fluffed out in fear. "What's he doing here?" She hissed, narrowing her eyes.

Before Spottedcloud could say anything, Birchpaw interrupted. "You're alive?" The white-and-gray apprentice looked confused, and Spottedcloud silently cursed herself for agreeing to take him here. She'd hoped to keep Mosspaw a secret; what was she supposed to do now?


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N: **Just to let you guys know, this may be the last chapter for a while. I'm beginning to lose motivation to write this story (reviews would help!), and I don't know what to do with the characters anymore. I also have a ton of schoolwork to do so I have less time to write.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Warriors.

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><p><em><strong>Birchpaw<strong>_

"So, Spottedcloud's been taking care of you all this time?" Birchpaw asked. He'd gotten over the initial shock of seeing Mosspaw still alive and healthy, but now he was sitting across from her in the den, sharing a mouse with the dappled apprentice.

Mosspaw nodded. "It's thanks to her that I'm still alive. I'd have never been able to handle the cough on my own."

Birchpaw took another bite of the mouse. "What kind of cough was it?"

"Spottedcloud said it was kitten-cough," Mosspaw replied, looking down at her paws. "I guess I'm still too young to be an apprentice. I'm only four moons old, I think."

"Something like that," Spottedcloud meowed, coming into the den with a few herbs in her jaws. "We have no idea where you and Darkpaw came from, though."

Mosspaw shrugged. "I guess it's better that way," she mewed quietly. "I don't know why our parents would abandon us in the snow."

Birchpaw shuddered slightly. He couldn't imagine life without Ashpetal. His father, Thrushwing, barely glanced at his kits, but it was Ashpetal who had raised Birchpaw and Swallowpaw for two whole moons, making sure that they were prepared for being an apprentice and later a warrior. Swallowpaw might even become a queen one day.

For a moment, Birchpaw wondered what it would be like to have kits, but he pushed the thought away. He'd be able to have kits when he became a warrior, but not any sooner.

He looked over at Mosspaw. She was sitting next to Spottedcloud now, watching intently as the tortoiseshell warrior chewed leaves into a pulp and then spat them onto a larger, wide leaf, mixing them in with a few crushed berries.

Birchpaw ignored them, for the most part. He finished off the mouse, then realized that he was feeling a bit disappointed. He'd expected Spottedcloud's secret to be something important. Sure, Mosspaw was a loner now and Hazelstar would be furious if she knew that one of her warriors was sneaking out to help the former apprentice, but Mosspaw wasn't all that exciting. She wasn't even a threat to the Clan.

"Did you hear that?" Mosspaw was looking outside, eyes wide and ears pricked. "I thought I heard something outside."

"Stay here," Spottedcloud warned, getting up. "I'll go look. One of the warriors might have followed us here."

Mosspaw looked scared at this; she retreated farther to the back of the den, eyes wide with fear. She pressed herself against the den wall as though she were trying to blend in, but Birchpaw could still see her mottled fur clearly against the dry brown soil.

A few moments later, Spottedcloud called down to them. "Come up here! You won't believe what I've found." She sounded worried, so Birchpaw flicked his tail to Mosspaw, signalling for her to follow him. After a few moments, she did, and the two of them emerged from the den.

Birchpaw's eyes widened as he saw Spottedcloud standing close to three kits. They were huddled together, staring up at the tortoiseshell warrior with wide eyes. One of them, a dark tortoiseshell, was curled up on the ground, unmoving.

"Can you help us?" One of them mewed. It was a dark silver she-kit; her blue eyes were wide and pleading. "Our brother is sick." She flicked her tail in the direction of the tortoiseshell kit. Birchpaw could faintly hear the tom kit's rasping breaths.

The final kit, a light brown tabby tom, pressed closer to his sister, his fur fluffed out against the chilly air.

"My brother was a tortoiseshell," Spottedcloud murmured, half to herself. "He died after about a moon. He grew terribly ill and eventually stopped breathing altogether. My mother was devastated." She returned her attention to the kits. "How old are you?"

"Our mum said we're a moon old," the silver kit mewed. "Have you seen her?"

Mosspaw was standing beside Spottedcloud now. She crouched down and looked at the kits, her amber eyes glowing with sympathy. "What's her name?"

"M-Marta," the brown tabby replied. "We were out playing, and a huge brown tabby came by and said that we belonged to him… she tried to stop him, but he attacked her. She told us to run, and we did, but we got lost and… now we're here."

Spottedcloud's eyes narrowed slightly. "She sounds like a kittypet to me."

"Swallowpaw and Hazelstar were attacked by a brown tabby," Birchpaw offered, remembering what his sister had told him. "Is it the same one?"

"Mum said his name was Hawk," the silver kit mewed shakily. "She said that he was in charge of the alleys and that he stole kits from their parents and forced them to fight for him…" She trailed off and pressed closer to her siblings as though their warmth would protect her.

"We'd better get you back to FallenClan," Spottedcloud murmured. "Can one of you walk by yourself?"

The silver kit stepped forwards to answer, but Mosspaw interrupted before the kit could speak. "What are your names?"

"My name is Kestrel," the brown tabby kit offered. "My brother's name is Thorn, and my sister is Lake."

"We're bringing you to FallenClan," Spottedcloud repeated, and picked up Thorn by his scruff. "Birchpaw, do you think you could carry Lake? Kestrel, you'll have to walk on your own."

"But there are three of you," Kestrel mewed, sounding confused.

"I can't come with them," Mosspaw explained. "I was banished from the camp."

Kestrel looked like he was about to protest, but he nodded and followed Birchpaw and Spottedcloud back to camp.

Lake was about half Birchpaw's size, and it was hard for him to carry her, but he forced himself to manage. The small kit was shaking, but he couldn't tell whether it was from fear or cold.

"Are you okay?" He mewed, trying not to drop her.

"F-fine," Lake replied, but she closed her eyes and didn't say anything else. She was obviously hungry and tired, but Birchpaw wasn't sure if FallenClan was the best place for her to live. What if she was banished like Mosspaw was? Birchpaw shuddered at the thought of the small silver kit alone in the cold.

When they entered camp, Birchpaw was aware of many cats watching him. A few of them let out cries of shock when they saw the kits.

"What's this?" Frostflight yowled, fluffing out her fur. "Where did these kits come from?"

"This is the same thing that happened with Scorchfrost, Mosspaw, and Darkpaw," Softfeather meowed. "Where did you find these kits, Spottedcloud?"

Spottedcloud put Thorn down for a moment so she could speak. "They were hiding near an abandoned fox den out in the forest."

Frostflight opened her jaws to say something, but before she could, a loud yowl sounded from the camp entrance.

"What is the meaning of this?" Hazelstar growled, dropping a mouse on the ground and coming to stand beside the kits. Sootblaze and Nightstream came up hesitantly behind her.

Hazelstar looked at Spottedcloud with narrowed eyes. "Where did these kits come from? Is it just a coincidence that one of them is tortoiseshell like you, or that the brown one looks like your mother?"

Spottedcloud flinched, but she met Hazelstar's gaze evenly. "They aren't mine," she hissed. "Their mother is a kittypet."

Hazelstar's eyes widened and she looked down at the kits. Birchpaw set Lake down next to her siblings; she immediately scurried over to huddle up next to them.

"Is this true?" Hazelstar growled. "Was your mother a kittypet, little kits, or was she someone else?"

Kestrel nodded. "She's not our mother," he mewed, looking up at Spottedcloud. "She found us and brought us here."

Hazelstar looked at Birchpaw. "Can you confirm this?"

Birchpaw nodded. "I was out hunting with Spottedcloud when we found the kits. She's telling the truth."

Hazelstar sighed and closed her eyes. For a moment she looked older and more tired. "We'll take them in," she meowed wearily. "Ashpetal, can you nurse them?"

The gray queen nodded and stood up, coming over to the kits. "I have some milk left."

"That's settled then," Hazelstar meowed. She said nothing else as she retreated to her den. Birchpaw noticed that her ginger-and-white tabby fur was matted and dirty, but he didn't point it out.

When the kits were settled, Birchpaw went over to Swallowpaw. His sister was curled up in her own nest, since there was no room for her in Ashpetal's nest with the kits there. Swallowpaw twitched in her sleep and her jaws parted slightly in a silent yowl. It was obvious that she was dreaming.

"Wake up," Birchpaw muttered, prodding her flank with a paw. At once, Swallowpaw's eyes fluttered open and she looked up at him with wide eyes.

"I was having a dream," she murmured shakily. "I saw… a lake… it was red with blood…" She closed her eyes again, trembling slightly. Birchpaw sighed and pressed closer to her, being careful not to disturb her wounds.

"I know who attacked you," he said after a while, recalling what Lake had told him. "His name is Hawk. He trains kits to fight for him."

Swallowpaw raised her head, looking troubled. "I saw a hawk in my dreams," she mewed, sounding weaker than before. "And…"

"Save your strength," Birchpaw murmured, pressing his nose to her ear. "You need to rest. We'll talk more in the morning."

Swallowpaw nodded weakly. Soon she was sleeping again, her flank rising and falling steadily. Birchpaw quietly stood up and went over to Spottedcloud, who was sitting in her nest.

"You know about herbs, right?" He asked. Spottedcloud started and glared at him, flicking her tail at Sootblaze, who was sitting nearby. The gray tabby's ears were pricked as though she'd overheard them, but she was just watching Scorchfrost.

"Be quiet," Spottedcloud warned. Birchpaw nodded, and after a few heartbeats Spottedcloud sighed. "I can't heal your sister," she meowed gently. "Hazelstar won't allow it. I'm sorry, Birchpaw, but Swallowpaw has to heal on her own."

"But what if you snuck some herbs in?" Birchpaw pressed. "I could give them to her secretly. No cat would ever have to know."

"Do you want me to risk Mosspaw's life?" growled Spottedcloud, glaring at him through narrowed golden eyes. "If I give you herbs and Hazelstar finds out, she'll want to know where you got them. She'll suspect me right away. She doesn't trust me already, and Mosspaw's so close to being able to return. Please, Birchpaw. I can't do this."

She turned away from him and curled up in her nest, her eyes closed. Birchpaw wanted to insist that she give him the herbs, but decided against it. Swallowpaw might heal by herself – at least, that was what he hoped.

When Birchpaw fell asleep, he was shocked to see that he woke up in a grassy clearing. A brown tabby she-cat sat in the middle of the clearing, her bright green eyes intently fixed on Birchpaw.

"Welcome back, Birchpaw," she mewed. Birchpaw recognized her as the StarClan cat he had seen before, but he was shocked to see her again. He'd dismissed her former appearance as a dream, nothing more.

Birchpaw's eyes widened and he took a step back. "You're not real," he mewed, shaking his head. "I must be dreaming again."

The brown tabby's eyes narrowed for a heartbeat, but then she relaxed. "We were afraid this would happen," she murmured, half to herself.

"Why did you summon me?" Birchpaw asked, still suspicious. "I thought StarClan only sent dreams to leaders."

"We also walk in the dreams of other cats – special cats like yourself." The brown tabby rose to her paws and came closer to Birchpaw. "You can see through the lies," she explained. "You know that Hazelstar's treatment of Mosspaw was unfair, and that the kits you brought to FallenClan do not deserve to be there."

Birchpaw nodded, but he was still confused. Was he really that important?

"There are others we've sent dreams to," the StarClan cat continued. "I'm sure you'll be able to figure it out."

Birchpaw narrowed his eyes in concentration. "Swallowpaw?"

"Correct," the she-cat purred, sitting down next to Birchpaw. "Can you think of any others?"

"Spottedcloud," Birchpaw replied. "And… Rippleclaw?"

"We have sent dreams to Spottedcloud, but not Rippleclaw." The she-cat's gaze darkened. "Rippleclaw would not betray Hazelstar, not when he believes we don't exist." She hesitated, but then continued. "You'll understand soon enough."

"What do you mean?" Birchpaw felt that there was something else the StarClan cat wasn't telling him.

"Blood will be spilled twice before the day is done," the she-cat warned. The scene around them started to fade, and Birchpaw began to panic, rising to his paws. As he glanced around, he saw flashes. He could see Hazelstar standing in front of the Clan, her eyes gleaming with determination and anger. Then he saw a heap of dappled fur lying on the forest floor, but he couldn't make out who it was.

Fear coursed through him as he realized the StarClan cat was no longer standing beside him. However, a few moments later, he felt her warm breath against his ear. "Find the other cats, Birchpaw," she whispered. "It is your destiny to be with them."

Then the dream faded entirely and Birchpaw was blinking his eyes open in the bright dawn light.


	8. Chapter 7

**A/N: **So, here's another chapter. I'm sorry it took me so long to upload, but I finally finished it today (also sorry if it seems a bit rushed). A huge thanks to everyone who reviewed and added the story to their alerts/favorites. I'm glad you guys still like it.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Warriors or the concept of it. The only things I own are the characters.

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><p><em><strong>Spottedcloud<strong>_

The kits were doing well, for the most part. Lake and Kestrel had slept soundlessly throughout the night, but Thorn had been waking up every few minutes, his sleep disturbed by a bout of coughing every time. No cat in the Clan thought he would live another day.

Swallowpaw, on the other hand, had been slowly recovering from her injuries. Snowfern had found comfrey and goldenrod completely by accident the other day, and despite Hazelstar's protests she'd managed, with Spottedcloud's help, to apply the herbs to Swallowpaw's wounds. Really, it was a miracle that Hazelstar had allowed them to treat Swallowpaw in any way. Perhaps she'd finally realized that the apprentice was a valuable asset to the Clan.

Spottedcloud looked over at the young apprentice, who was lying down near the kits, watching them as they played. A few times, Kestrel and Lake tried to get their brother to join in the games, but he just rested his head on his paws and stared blankly at them with glassy green eyes.

Spottedcloud blinked sympathetically at them and returned her attention to the half-eaten squirrel at her paws. Hazelstar had confined her to camp for a few days, probably to keep an eye on her. She was still suspicious, and had been ever since Spottedcloud and Birchpaw had returned to camp with the kits. Spottedcloud hated to leave Mosspaw alone for too long, but the apprentice could take care of herself by now. Maybe she could even come home soon.

Half-heartedly, Spottedcloud nibbled at the squirrel some more. Birchpaw had brought it to her earlier on, and was now out showing Ashpetal some good places to hunt so they'd be able to feed themselves, Swallowpaw, and the kits

"Spottedcloud, watch this!"

The warrior looked up at the sound of Lake's voice. The small silver kit reared up on her hind legs and batted at a moss ball that Kestrel tossed her way, sending it flying until it finally landed against Swallowpaw's flank. The apprentice smiled weakly and pawed it back.

"Very good," Spottedcloud purred, twitching her whiskers. "You're going to make a great warrior, Lake."

Speaking of, why hadn't the kits gotten proper Clan names yet? Hazelstar might be waiting for them to decide whether they wanted to stay yet, but something told Spottedcloud that it was more than that. Was the Clan leader simply too paranoid or was there something else going on?

Her thoughts were interrupted as the moss ball hit her ear. She blinked in slight confusion as it fell to the ground, and then looked up to see Lake watching her eagerly, claws out and fur bristling playfully.

"Come on, toss it back!" Lake urged. Spottedcloud obeyed the kit, scooping up the moss ball with her paw and throwing it back over to the kits. Kestrel immediately smacked it with his paw, but he misjudged his aim and it flew straight towards Thorn, smacking the small tortoiseshell on the back of the head and jolting him awake.

"Whassat?" Thorn mewed groggily, eyes wide with panic. "Mama?" He began looking around and spotted his siblings watching him, their eyes glowing with worry.

"I'm really sorry, Thorn," Kestrel mewed sheepishly, taking a step closer to his brother. "You can go back to sleep."

Thorn blinked a few times before pressing his muzzle against his paws. His voice was muffled when he spoke. "I miss mama. I wanna go home…"

"I know," Lake reassured him sympathetically, pressing her nose against his shoulder. "It's okay, we'll be fine."

She jumped back suddenly as Thorn's body convulsed and the kit started coughing violently, his breath rasping as he struggled. Spottedcloud immediately jumped up and darted over to him, nudging the other two kits away as she started licking Thorn's fur anxiously, not knowing what to do.

The other cats lying around the camp – Snowfern, Cherrynose, Rippleclaw, and Darkpaw – realized what was happening and rose to their paws anxiously. Snowfern ran over at once, easing Thorn away from Spottedcloud and beginning to massage his chest, helping him breathe.

Thorn coughed a few more times before he sucked in a shaking breath and went limp, his eyes beginning to glaze over.

"What's happening?" Lake squealed anxiously, glancing up at the warriors with wide eyes. Spottedcloud was too shocked to move, just staring at Thorn. For a moment, she didn't see Thorn, but her brother, lying dead in the snow as their mother curled up next to him. Spottedcloud could remember that she'd watched him die, but she'd done nothing. She'd been oblivious to the situation, just like Lake and Kestrel were now.

Snowfern drew back from Thorn's still body, blinking in shock. "I'm sorry," she murmured after a few more moments of silence. "He's… gone."

"Gone? Do you mean…" Kestrel trailed off, wide-eyed, as Lake let out a heart-wrenching wail, leaning against her brother. When she finally looked up, she glared straight at Spottedcloud.

"You told us we'd be safe here," she mewed accusingly, her voice trembling. "You said you'd take care of us, but you didn't… Thorn is _dead_…"

"What's wrong?" came a new voice from the camp entrance. Hazelstar was making her way through the small crowd of cats surrounding the scene, Ashpetal and Birchpaw trailing behind her.

"No!" Ashpetal screeched when she saw Thorn's body. She immediately lay down beside the dead kit, licking his fur anxiously as though she could bring him back to life somehow. Birchpaw quietly stood next to the kits, comforting Lake as best as he could.

"How could you let this happen?" he murmured quietly. Spottedcloud flinched, knowing the question was directed at her.

"He was going to die already…" she began, but broke off as Birchpaw glared at her angrily.

"You should have known what to do," he hissed quietly. "You've had no trouble taking care of cats in the past. Why couldn't you use your knowledge of herbs to save him?"

Spottedcloud quietly stared at her paws, refusing to answer. It wasn't her fault. Hazelstar didn't allow for any treatment of cats unless she or an important cat was injured. That was the reason why Mosspaw had been thrown out in the first place – she'd been sick, and Hazelstar hadn't wanted to cure her. Spottedcloud felt anger course through her, and for a moment she was surprised at her own rage. She carefully kept it bottled, however, soothing her own guilt with the thought that it was Hazelstar's fault Thorn had died and not hers.

Ashpetal went out to bury Thorn after a few more warriors returned to the camp. She'd told Lake and Kestrel they could come if they wanted, but they'd refused. Ever since her brother's death, Lake had been sticking to Birchpaw like a burr, and Kestrel had been comforting her as well.

This brought a new thought to Spottedcloud's head. What if Kestrel and Lake decided they didn't want to stay in the Clan after all? She knew that Hazelstar wouldn't really care if she had to leave kits out in the forest to die, but the very thought of the two kits, waiting quietly for death so they could join their brother, made Spottedcloud feel sick.

Snowfern had been quiet, too, and Spottedcloud guessed that she was probably blaming herself for Thorn's death. She would have gone over to comfort the younger warrior if she hadn't been thinking the exact same thing. Spottedcloud wasn't sure if she'd be able to comfort any cat at the moment.

She felt another cat lie down next to her, and a moment later Rippleclaw began grooming her fur with long, soothing strokes. "It'll be okay," he murmured between licks. "Nobody blames you."

Spottedcloud just stared at the ground forlornly, too tired to tell him to go away. "The kits and Birchpaw do," she mewed quietly. "They hate me."

Rippleclaw paused in his licking and blinked at her. "I don't hate you," he replied, gently brushing his muzzle against hers. "You're the most amazing cat I know."

Spottedcloud's ears perked up. "Really?" She didn't want to be hopeful, but a part of her was thinking that maybe she could have a future with Rippleclaw. Maybe she could even have kits.

Thinking of kits only made her think back to Lake and Kestrel, and Thorn, and her thoughts grew dark and dismal again. Then, for some reason, she suddenly thought back to where they'd first found the kits.

_Mosspaw!_ She jolted suddenly, her head shooting straight up. She had to go visit Mosspaw. The apprentice deserved to know that Thorn had died.

Rippleclaw frowned at her. "Something wrong?" he asked, a note of concern in his voice.

Spottedcloud stood up, shaking her head slightly. "No, no, I'm fine… I just need to step outside for some fresh air."

"Hazelstar's confined you to the camp," he reminded her, standing up as well. "I can come for a walk with you if you really want to, though…"

"No!" Spottedcloud mewed anxiously, and immediately regretted saying it. Rippleclaw looked crushed. "I… I'm sorry, Rippleclaw, I can't. I just need to be alone for a while."

The gray tabby still looked disappointed, but he nodded and allowed her to go. Spottedcloud managed to keep her composure as she left the camp, but as soon as she was sure no cat could see her, she broke into a sprint, heading for the fox den where Mosspaw was staying.

She couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt as she noticed a few catmint leaves lying by the path, weighed down slightly with frost. They were probably fresh earlier on, and could have been used to treat Thorn before his cough got too serious.

Another thing that was Hazelstar's fault. Spottedcloud would have been able to go out looking for herbs if she hadn't been confined to camp.

She spotted a few more catmint leaves as she made her way through the forest, along with a clump of coltsfoot. The herbs seemed to be mocking her at this point. Why hadn't she noticed these earlier, especially when she'd been going back to camp with Birchpaw? Thorn had been sick then, too. She'd just been too ignorant to think about helping him – that was definitely her fault, not Hazelstar's.

Thinking about Birchpaw made Spottedcloud's train of thought jump immediately to Mosspaw. What if the other apprentice also blamed her for letting Thorn die? Would Mosspaw even want to be looked after anymore?

Not that she really needed care at this point, though. Spottedcloud had thought a few times about just letting Mosspaw live out her life in the forest, but one conversation she'd had with the apprentice had made her change her mind.

They'd been sharing a rabbit one night, not speaking, when Mosspaw had suddenly brought up the topic of the Clan.

"They've probably all forgotten about me," she'd meowed quietly. "How's Darkpaw doing?"

"He's coping," Spottedcloud answered, taking another bite of the rabbit. "He hasn't shown any signs of missing you, though."

Mosspaw sighed, pushing the rabbit away. "I miss him." She looked sad for a moment before she gave a bitter laugh. "You know, we always trained together, before… you know. He'd always be begging Darkstream to take him out training with me and Rippleclaw, and she'd always let him, and he'd be so happy…" she broke off and took a deep, slightly shaky breath before continuing. "You know, Spottedcloud, he's family. All we ever needed was each other, but now… I don't know."

She looked up at the warrior, her amber eyes wide and pleading. "Could you maybe talk to him? Find out if he really misses me? Please, I need to know."

Spottedcloud hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "I will. I promise."

She'd never actually talked to Darkpaw, not even after the conversation. After a while, Mosspaw had stopped mentioning it, and Spottedcloud had just assumed she'd forgotten. But what Mosspaw had said, about her brother, it had made Spottedcloud rethink her plans for the apprentice's future. If only she could get Hazelstar to accept Mosspaw back into the Clan.

She was finally at the fox den, and she paused a few fox-lengths away from the entrance before heading towards it, steeling herself for the anger that would surely come once Mosspaw heard about what had happened to Thorn.

Spottedcloud was about to poke her head inside when she heard something, a familiar voice, that made her blood run cold.

"Now, you little wretch, why don't you tell me how you managed to survive for so long?"

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><p><strong>AN: **Next chapter (Hazelstar chapter!) will also be a bit dramatic, sorry. I'll just let you guys speculate about who found Mosspaw, though you've probably already guessed by now.


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